US Embassy warns of limited slots: Indian students face mass visa rejections, slot shortage before semester

With less than two weeks until the US fall semester begins, Indian students are facing a visa nightmare — mass appointment shortages, sudden rejections, and what consultants warn could be a 70–80% collapse in student arrivals this year.

The alarm was amplified by a Reddit post from an Indian applicant, calling the situation a “complete shitshow” and warning that most students still don’t have visa interview dates. The user said their consultant has been refreshing the appointment portal daily with no success — a process that in past years was usually wrapped up well before departure dates.

Education consultants say this is the worst year in memory for F-1 student visa processing. Appointment slots at US consulates in India have been frozen or released at random, vanishing within minutes. In many cases, even successful bookings don’t generate confirmation emails, leaving applicants in limbo.

The US State Department promised emergency interview slots “in phases,” but students report sporadic, unpredictable access. The US Embassy has acknowledged it cannot guarantee all students will get appointments this summer.

The impact could be historic. India sent roughly 330,000 students to the US in 2024, but this year’s numbers may drop below 100,000. “If slots aren’t released in the next few days, thousands of dreams will be shattered,” one consultant warned.

Rejection rates have also spiked. Many applicants — even with strong academics, family ties, and solid finances — are being denied under Section 214(b), which requires proof they will return to India after studies. Consultants estimate rejection rates for “clean” profiles at up to 50%, with overall F-1 approvals from India falling 44% in the first half of 2025.

Globally, F-1 approvals dropped 12% from January to April, and in May alone, the decline was 22% year-on-year.

Why the chaos?

• Tighter vetting: Expanded social media checks and new review procedures have slowed processing.
• Interview suspension: From May 27 to June 18, consulates paused interviews, missing the critical fall intake window.
• Stricter enforcement: The US State Department is fully applying rules that were previously enforced less aggressively, in what some believe is a test of new security and appointment systems.

With the semester start looming, some Indian students are now looking to Germany and other countries as alternatives — a stark shift for a nation that, just last year, sent the largest group of international students to the US.